MEDIA RELEASE - Job cuts as ATO office close, 17 December 2013

Today I issued a media release regarding the news that two ATO offices will close, potentially resulting in hundreds of job cuts.

ANDREW LEIGH MP

SHADOW ASSISTANT TREASURER

MEMBER FOR FRASER

MEDIA RELEASE

JOB CUTS AS ATO OFFICES CLOSE

The Tax Commissioner’s announcement that over 600 jobs are at risk due to the closure of tax offices in Hurstville and Southport is a cruel blow to families ahead of Christmas, said Shadow Assistant Treasurer Andrew Leigh.

The head of the Australian Tax Office, Chris Jordan AO, announced the job cuts in an email to Australian Tax Office employees today. The ATO’s Hurstville office in Sydney employs around 540 people and the Southport office on the Gold Coast employs 90.

“The Member for Banks, David Coleman, needs to explain why he hasn’t been able to stand up for his community and instead will stand idly by while over 500 jobs are lost in his electorate,” Dr Leigh said.

“Mr Coleman’s protestations in the media that ‘the ATO is an important employer in Hurstville and we need to maintain jobs in the local community’ have obviously drawn little support from his colleagues,” Dr Leigh said.

“Similarly, the Member for Moncrieff, Steven Ciobo, needs to explain to his electorate why he hasn’t been able to stop these job cuts” Dr Leigh said.

“Mr Ciobo’s position as Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer didn’t seem to carry much influence when it came to looking after jobs in his own electorate.”

“The Abbott Government must explain to these Sydney and Gold Coast workers why they should lose their jobs just so mining billionaires can get a tax cut.”